The present invention relates to a paper separating member used in the paper feeding device of a copying machine or printer, for preventing the concurrent feed of two paper sheets.
There are a variety of paper feeding devices for copying machines, printers and the like, and a paper feeding device 1 shown in FIG. 3 can be designed most compact and its construction is simple, so that it is widely used in copying machines, printers and the like.
The paper feeding device 1 comprises a paper feed roller 2 of rubber journaled for rotation, and a paper separating member 3 opposed to said paper feed roller 2 in substantial contact with the latter. A number of paper sheets 4a, 4b, etc. stored in a cassette (not shown) are delivered one by one by the rotation of the feed roller 2. In order to feed only one sheet 4a while preventing the concurrent feed of two paper sheets 4a, 4b, etc. the paper separating member 3 is pressed against the undesirable paper sheet 4b entering below the paper sheet 4a to be delivered, thereby separating the paper sheet 4b from the paper sheet 4a to be delivered and stopping it by the frictional resistance between the paper sheet 4b and the paper separating member 3.
The paper separating member 3 comprises a support block 3a and a planar friction rubber element 3b mounted thereon to be slide-contacted by the paper sheets 4a, 4b, etc. Heretofore, ABS resin and the like have been widely used to form said support block 3a.
In said paper feeding device 1, an abnormal sound called "creak" is sometimes produced during paper feed, said sound being produced more readily particularly when the paper sheets 4a, 4b, etc. to be fed are coated paper or OHP films. The above-mentioned "creak" originates in the fact that the rubbing between the friction rubber element 3b of the paper separating member 3 and the paper sheets 4a, 4b, etc. produces vibrations with which the attaching members and the like for the paper separating member 3 resonate, producing unpleasant creaking sounds. Therefore, if ABS resin of low specific gravity (standard product: Specific gravity 1.05) is used as the support block 3a for the paper separating member as in the prior art, the vibrations are easily transferred to the attaching members and the like for the paper separating member during paper feed, producing "creak".
Accordingly, to suppress vibrations, a weight of aluminum or lead has been stuck to the paper separating member 3, but this is unsightly and decreases productivity, leading to cost increase.